Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has plunged Coventry City into turmoil by trying to evicting the club from their home ground. The Sports Direct tycoon’s Frasers Group took over the stadium just weeks ago for a reported £17million.
Financial uncertainty has plagued Coventry in recent years, forcing several ground changes. A dispute with landlords saw the Sky Blues evicted from the Ricoh Arena - now known as the Coventry Building Society Arena - in 2013.
At one point, the club relocated to a different city by ground-sharing with Birmingham - a move which astonishingly saw Coventry win promotion to the Championship. Returning to their home in 2021 was viewed as a landmark moment but off-field issues have refused to go away.
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Ex-Toon owner Ashley - who once renamed St James’ Park the Sports Direct Arena - seized an opportunity a fortnight ago. Rugby Union side Wasps owned the CBS Arena but recently entered administration - allowing Ashley to move in at a discount.
Fans were reassured that Coventry's home fixtures would not be affected following the deal. Club chief executive Dave Boddy said: “The football club has had brief initial discussions with Frasers Group regarding the future of the Arena and their interest in it. They have given us assurances that the Sky Blues continuing to play at the Arena is very much part of their plans, should they purchase the Arena."
However, that promise to supporters looks to have been broken. Coventry’s future is now up in the air after an eviction notice was served.
A club statement on Monday read: "We were surprised to learn of this intention by Frasers Group, given that discussions with Coventry City prior to the completion of their purchase of the Arena led us to understand the existing terms would continue unchanged with Frasers Group as the new owners of the Arena."
Staff have reportedly been told to hand in their access cards, with the Sky Blues given “a reasonable amount of time” to remove property. Frasers Group argue that the licence agreement between Coventry and former tenants Wasps is no longer legally binding.
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